How Would It Happen
by JnnLuvsU
Summary: Companion piece to 'What Would It Take'. Five Shawn/Lassiter moments. Shassy slash.


Title: How Would It Happen  
Author: JnnLuvsU  
Disclaimer: You mean I could get paid to do this? And I've been doing this for free for years? Just kidding, they aren't mine. Never will be. :(  
Summary: Companion piece to 'What Would It Take'. Five moments between Shawn and Lassiter.  
Genre: Slash, Drama.  
Rating: T, just to be safe  
Author's Notes: This is a companion piece to my previous story, 'What Would It Take'. Each of the moments below proceeds directly from one the father/son moments in 'What Would It Take'. Except for the last one, which actually preceeds the final story from 'What Would it Take'.  
Author's Notes 2: You don't have to read 'What Would It Take' to enjoy this, but you might need to in order to understand it better. Besides, I would love for you to read it.

How Would it Happen  
By: JnnLuvsU  
(You might want to read the Author's Notes first)

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Shawn made it to the police station in record time. He knew he'd promised his dad that he would go straight home, but that didn't seem like a good idea. He needed something to do, or he'd go crazy.

He was searching for Jules, but she was no where to be found. He could have gone to Gus, but the other man had demanded that Shawn give him today to actually get some work done. He looked around before his eyes landed on Lassiter, sitting at his desk. Shawn sighed, Lassiter never really seemed to like him, but they had been working together better for the last couple of months, since the lodge incident.

He sat in the chair next to Lassiter's desk, "Hey, Lassi," he greeted, "I need something to do."

Lassiter looked at the younger man carefully. There were so many things wrong with this picture. Shawn sounded despondent. But what really struck Lassiter was the fact that Shawn was sitting in a chair. The other man seemed to think that Lassiter's desk _was_ his own personal seat. Come to think of it, Lassiter didn't think he'd ever even seen Shawn sit in a chair, unless it was in the chief's office.

Lassiter leaned back in his chair, "What happened, Spencer?" he asked.

Shawn shrugged, not looking at Lassiter, "I need something to do," he repeated.

Lassiter nodded, "Well, O'Hara's out sick today, so you can help me investigate the string of robberies that's been occurring."

"Is Jules alright?" Shawn asked.

Lassiter grinned, "She's fine. Taking what she calls a 'mental health day'." He shrugged, "Figured she deserved it, so I didn't put up a fight." He stood, "Coming, Spencer?"

Shawn jumped up, placing a hand on Lassiter's arm. He waited until he had the older man's attention, "Thank you, Carlton," he whispered.

Lassiter stared at Shawn in shock for a few seconds before smiling softly, "You're welcome," he answered as he led Shawn to his car. "Want to tell me what's bothering you?" he asked again. Shawn didn't appear to hear him, merely climbed into the passenger's side of the car, buckling his seatbelt. Lassiter got into the driver's side, "Spencer?"

Shawn put his head in his hands, rubbing his eyes. He couldn't concentrate. How was he supposed to deal with this?

Lassiter was becoming concerned. Shawn had yet to respond to him. He placed his hand on Shawn's shoulder, "Shawn?" he questioned, hoping that would get the other man's attention.

Shawn started, turning to face Lassiter. "Sorry, Lassi," he returned, "What did you say?"

Lassiter frowned. He'd never seen the psychic this distracted before. "You're distracted, Spencer. What's bothering you? I can't take you into the field if you can't concentrate."

Shawn sighed, knowing the older man was right, "I'm sorry," he repeated. He ran a hand through his hair, "You're right." He unbuckled his seat belt and moved to get out of the car.

Lassiter grabbed his arm, "Whoa! Wait." He pulled Shawn back into the car, "Just tell me what's bothering you. Then you'll be less distracted. And then we can go and catch some thieves."

Shawn sighed, "My mom came into town today," he mumbled.

Lassiter nodded, confused, "And this is a bad thing, I take it."

Shawn looked at him, "I haven't seen her since I was 8," he supplied.

Lassiter nodded, "Ah. And you don't want to see her, so you need something to distract you."

Shawn nodded, "Pretty much. Gus demanded that I leave him alone today, and, while, I could probably still call him and he'd come, I'd rather just give him today, then deal with it all tomorrow."

Lassiter backed out of the parking spot, "Okay. I think I can manage a distraction, as long as you promise to listen to me."

Shawn nodded, "Thanks, Lassi," he smiled at the older man.

Lassiter stole a glance at him as they left the parking lot, "I mean it Spencer," he threatened. "This should just be run of the mill, but..." he trailed off, "I don't want to have to explain to the chief that I let the squad mascot get hurt."

Shawn laughed, "I'm the mascot now," he stated, his eyes twinkling.

Lassiter shrugged, "Wasn't my idea," he assured the younger man, a small smile gracing his face.

Shawn grinned, "Sure it wasn't," he muttered, humming under his breath.

Lassiter sighed, "I have much better things to do with my time."

Shawn turned to him, his gaze mischievous, "Really, Lassi," he stated, innocent-like, "Like what?"

Lassiter groaned, "Like catch bad guys."

Shawn gave him a grin, "You know you love me, Lassi," he stated, beating his knees to the beat of the song on the radio, "I don't know why you try to deny it."

Lassiter scoffed, "Keep telling yourself that, Spencer," he returned.

Shawn chuckled, "Oh, I will," he assured the older man, "Believe me, I will." He was still humming under his breath.

Lassiter smiled to himself. Distraction accomplished. Now, to business. He turned to the other man, "So, how much have you heard about the string of robberies at northside mall?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Shawn heaved himself off of his couch when the knocking on his door started. He assumed it was his father. "I told you I was fine, dad," he said as he pulled open the door.

"Hey, Spencer," Lassiter greeted Shawn.

Shawn stared at the man at his door in silence. What was the other man doing here? Shawn hadn't wanted him to find out. Their friendship had gotten pretty strong over the last few months, and Shawn was a little embarrassed.

Lassiter shifted from foot to foot, "Can I come in?" he asked, after a few minutes of silence. He could see the injuries on Shawn's face, but the younger man's clothing hid the others.

Shawn came back to himself, "Um, yeah," he answered, stepping back and letting Lassiter into the apartment. "What brings you to my humble abode, Lassi?" he asked, leading the other man into the living room. He was trying not to limp all that much, and that pulled at his stitches. His hand went automatically to his side, trying to lessen the pain.

Lassiter could see Shawn struggling to walk and winced. "I read the report," he admitted, "wanted to make sure you were okay." He decided not to mention what he'd like to do to the people who'd done this. Anyone who dared to hurt his Shawn... Now Lassiter knew he was in trouble. When had the younger man become his? That wasn't something they'd ever talked about. Maybe now was the time.

Shawn smiled softly at Lassiter, seeing the concern in the other man's eyes, "I'm fine, Lassi," he assured, walking past Lassiter and into the kitchen, "Want something to drink?"

Lassiter followed him, placing his hands on Shawn's shoulders. "Why don't you go sit down," he suggested, giving Shawn's shoulders a slight squeeze.

Shawn leaned into Lassiter for a moment before nodding, "Help yourself," he whispered, pulling away and walking back into the living room.

Lassiter opened the fridge and pulled out two beers before walking back into the living room. He stood next to the couch, handing Shawn one of the beers. He could see the pain in Shawn's eyes. Lassiter sighed, "Where are your pain pills?" he asked.

Shawn shrugged, "Somewhere. Wherever dad left them." He looked at Lassiter, "Don't like taking them."

Lassiter glanced around the living room and kitchen before finding the pills on the kitchen counter. He grabbed them and walked back into the living room, opening them along the way. He held two out to Shawn, "Here."

Shawn looked at him, "They put me to sleep," he complained. He looked away, "I don't want to go to sleep."

Lassiter knelt in front of Shawn, "I don't like to see you in pain. Please."

Shawn nodded, "Just be ready for me to pass out in about thirty minutes."

Lassiter chuckled, moving to sit next to Shawn on the couch, "I'll be sure to tuck you in."

Shawn downed the pain pills before turning to Lassiter, his face serious, "Just make sure you put me in my Scooby-doo pajamas. They're my favorite."

Lassiter nodded solemnly, "Of course." He took a sip of his beer, deciding to go for it, "Shawn," he said, knowing that would get the other man's attention, "Why didn't you call me?" They'd been dancing around each other for months; the banter, the flirting, the casual touches. Lassiter was tired of the games.

Shawn sighed, looking away. "I didn't want you to think any less of me," he admitted, mumbling. "I already rank low on Dad's list, so I knew this wouldn't change his opinion of me. I didn't want to change yours." The pain pills were starting to take effect on him. He was becoming sleepy.

Lassiter closed his eyes in shame. He turned to Shawn, "I was worried sick when the chief told me you'd filed a police report. What happened was not your fault, Shawn," he assured the younger man. "I don't think any less of you. I just hate that you got hurt."

Shawn could feel the pain pills starting to take effect on him. He nodded, "Okay, Carly," he promised, "I'll call you next time."

Lassiter flinched, "Better not be a next time," he growled.

Shawn looked at him, "You really do care about me," he wondered, staring at Lassiter in awe.

Lassiter sighed, "Spencer. Shawn..."

"Can I kiss you?" Shawn cut him off, shifting his body closer to Lassiter and leaning into the older man. His fingers reached up to trace Lassiter's lips, "I bet you're a really great kisser," he mumbled.

Lassiter's breath hitched and his heart rate increased. One of his hands found its way to Shawn's hair, while the other grasped the hand still tracing his lips. He looked away from Shawn's too green eyes, "That's the pain pills talking," he muttered.

Shawn smiled; he could hear the want in Lassiter's voice and the other man still had a firm grip on his hand, playing with his fingers. He used that grip to bring the other man's fingers to his mouth, lightly sucking on the digits, "I'm sleepy Carly," he whispered, "Not high." He nipped at the pad of one of Lassiter's fingers.

Lassiter shuddered, his fingers carding through Shawn's hair as he crushed their mouths together, clinging to what little control he had left not to hurt the younger man.

Shawn shifted closer as Lassiter deepened the kiss, plunging his tongue into Shawn's mouth. Lassiter slowed the kiss, taking his time to map the inside of the younger man's mouth, until Shawn was moaning and writhing in his arms.

Shawn scrambled to get closer, pulling his stitches in the process. With a gasp of pain he pulled away, his hand clutching his side. He was panting for breath.

Lassiter's hands ghosted along Shawn's sides and back, "Did I hurt you?" he asked in panic, "I'm sorry."

Shawn caught his breath, smiling softly, "I'm fine, Lassi," he assured the other man, stifling a yawn.

Lassiter nodded, giving him a chaste kiss before standing, "Come on," he said, reaching for Shawn, "let's get you to bed."

Shawn grimaced, "I warned you that this would happen," he stated, allowing Lassiter to pull him to his feet. He wrapped his arms around the older man's neck. "Will you stay with me tonight?" he whispered.

Lassiter could hear the fear in Shawn's voice. Of course the younger man didn't want to be alone. He hugged Shawn fiercely. "Of course," he whispered. He had no intention of letting the other man out of his sight.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Shawn opened his eyes slowly. Something wasn't right. His eyes fell on the alarm clock; it was almost three in the morning. He reached over to the other side of the bed, surprised to find nothing there. He sat up, looking around the room. Maybe he'd gone home last night after all. Nope, this wasn't his apartment. He got out of bed, padding down the hall. He found the object of his searches sitting on the couch in the living room with his head in his hands.

Lassiter heard the footsteps behind him, and put his head in his hands. "Go back to sleep," he muttered.

Shawn raised his eyebrows. He wasn't going anywhere. He moved slowly around the other side of the couch and sat down next to the older man. He could see the tension radiating off Lassiter. He placed a hand lightly on the other man's back, "Hey, want to talk?" he asked, running his hand up and down Lassiter's back.

Lassiter sighed, looking up at Shawn, "It's nothing," he assured, taking Shawn's hand in his and squeezing it lightly.

Shawn chuckled dryly, "Apparently not," he responded, looking into Lassiter's eyes. "So why don't you tell me." He wracked his brain. "Did something happen at work?" He hadn't been at the station today.

Lassiter shook his head, "Not exactly," he muttered, pointing to an envelope on the table.

Shawn moved to take the envelope, but Lassiter held fast to his hand. Shawn looked at him, "Carly," he whispered, "you're starting to scare me."

Lassiter took a deep breath, "There are a lot of papers in that envelope," he explained. "Most important of all are the divorce papers."

Shawn's eyes grew wide, "'Divorce Papers'," he echoed. "But, I thought..."

Lassiter cut him off with a quick kiss, "I want to be with you," he whispered, "Freely." He ran a hand through Shawn's hair, playing with the strands. The other hand still grasped Shawn's.

Shawn sighed, looking down, "We've talked about this, Carly," he whispered.

Lassiter decided to ignore that comment for now. "There are other papers in there, Shawn," he commented.

"Carly..." Shawn began. He'd never intended to ruin Lassiter's career. He wasn't worth that.

"I'm not going to let this go," Lassiter promised. "There are other papers in there." He took a deep breath, "Life insurance papers, pension, emergency contact. Shawn, they're filled out and ready to give to the chief."

Shawn closed his eyes, still looking down, "This will ruin your career," he reminded the other man.

"I don't care," Lassiter responded. He lifted Shawn's chin, "I won't lie to you Shawn," he began, "I want to be chief." He cupped Shawn's cheek, "But I want you more. More than anything else."

Shawn was trapped by Lassiter's blue eyes, "I love you, Carly," he whispered, "but I'm not worth this."

Lassiter sighed, "I say you are," he whispered.

Shawn sighed, "Please..."

Lassiter dropped his hands, "The divorce will be finalized next month. Pretty soon after that, the chief is going to demand these papers. I'm ready to give them to her now, but I'll wait until you are ready. Please, think about it. I'm not going anywhere. Are you?"

Shawn's startled eyes shot to Lassiter's, "No," he quickly stated, "of course not." He took a deep breath, "I'm just not ready for you to give everything up for me."

Lassiter nodded, "I am _not_ giving everything up," he stated firmly.

Shawn nodded, "I'll think about it."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Shawn waited until night fell before letting himself into Lassiter's hospital room. The other man had been awake for almost seven hours, and Shawn had made the obligatory co-worker visit to tease Lassiter and tell him that he hoped the other man felt better. It had taken all of Shawn's energy and control not to let their relationship show.

Now, everyone else was gone. Visiting hours had ended an hour ago and Shawn spent a few minutes figuring out how to sneak past the nurses. He paused by the bed, looking down at the sleeping figure. He placed his hand lightly on the older man's chest, content just to feel Lassiter's heartbeat.

He pulled a chair over to the bed and sat down in it, still not removing his hand from Lassiter's chest. He ran a hand through his hair, before resting his head on it, letting out a shaky breath. He'd been up all day. This type of worry? Shawn had never experienced it, and it was terrifying. To care for someone this much? Shawn knew that there was no going back, and he'd never dream of asking Lassiter to quit the job he loved, but, for the first time, Shawn thought he understood his mother better. Not enough to fully forgive her for leaving, but a little better than before.

Lassiter awoke to find Shawn sitting by his bed, his head in one hand, the other hand resting on his chest. He smiled softly, resting his hand on top of Shawn's, "Hey," he whispered.

Shawn's head shot off his hand, staring up at Lassiter. He smiled sadly, "Sorry," he returned, "Didn't mean to wake you."

Lassiter shook his head, "You didn't." He tugged on Shawn's hand, but Shawn didn't seem to be getting the message. He sighed, "Get up here."

Shawn shook his head, "You're hurt." He pulled his hand from Lassiter's and rubbed his face, "Don't want to hurt you any more than you already are." His hands were trembling, "I was so scared," he admitted.

Lassiter groaned, struggling to sit up. He gave that up after a few seconds, pain crashing through his chest. He leaned back down, panting for breath, "Okay," he stated, "that's not going to work."

Shawn looked at him, "Are you okay?" Lassiter nodded. Shawn stood, "You, um, you need rest." He walked toward the door, ""I'll, um, come back tomorrow."

"Don't you dare!" Lassiter's voice was loud. "I can't chase you. I can't reach you. Please," his voice broke, "just come here."

Shawn walked back to the bed, unable to deny Lassiter something he wanted. "I got to thinking," he whispered.

Lassiter nodded, "About what?"

Shawn looked away, "If I hadn't been there, they probably wouldn't have called me." He began to pace, "I mean, why would they? We're hardly the best of friends." He collapsed back into the chair, "And that terrifies me almost as much as watching you get shot."

Lassiter reached his hand out, pleased when Shawn grasped it in return. "Look at me, Shawn," he whispered. Shawn turned his eyes on Lassiter. "O'Hara knows," he assured the younger man, "She would call you, I promise."

Shawn looked up, "You told Jules," he whispered.

Lassiter shrugged, "You told Henry and Gus."

Shawn nodded, falling silent.

Lassiter tugged on Shawn's hand again, "I saw how hard it was, you know," he whispered, "when you came in here earlier." He continued tugging on Shawn's hand, "Get up here."

This time, Shawn agreed, the need to be next to Lassiter too strong to ignore this time. He waited until Lassiter shifted to make enough room for him before curling up on Lassiter's good side, keeping a firm grip on the older man's hand.

Lassiter dropped a kiss on Shawn's forehead, "Get some sleep," he whispered. "Love you."

Shawn closed his eyes. He was so sleepy, "Love you, too," he whispered.

Lassiter closed his eyes, content just to have Shawn in his arms. He was almost asleep when Shawn's voice drifted to him.

"Lassi, you awake?" Shawn whispered, playing with the hand he held.

Lassiter's arm tightened around Shawn's shoulders, "Yeah," he replied.

Shawn took a deep breath, "Do you still have those papers," he whispered.

Lassiter smiled, "Yeah," he responded. "I'll turn them in tomorrow."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Lassiter paced around his apartment, wondering where his young lover was. Shawn had promised he'd be here almost an hour ago. The text message Lassiter had received merely said 'Be home a little late. Love you.' Given Lassiter's job, he knew he had no right to get mad that Shawn was late coming home, but he'd made these dinner reservations nearly a month ago. He was looking forward to tonight.

Shawn got off his motorcycle, walking up to the door. He took off his helmet, wincing slightly as he opened the door. "Carly?" he called as he shut and locked the door.

Lassiter leaned in the doorway from the kitchen to the living room, "Hey, you're late," he whispered.

Shawn nodded, turning to face Lassiter, "I know. I'm sorry. Just let me clean up and we can go. We'll still make the reservations."

Lassiter walked to Shawn, fingering the split lip the other man had, "What happened?" he asked, concern in his voice.

Shawn shrugged, "We were working on a case. Suspect got a little upset. I'm fine. I just want to shower, then we can go." He looked into Lassiter's eyes.

Lassiter sighed, "Shawn..."

Shawn groaned, "Please, Carly," he whispered, "Just let it go. I'm fine." He ran his hand through Lassiter's hair, "Don't ruin tonight. I need tonight."

Lassiter took a deep breath, "Okay, you win." He needed tonight too. It seemed that they had more time together when their relationship was a secret. Lassiter had been busy at work and Shawn had had his own cases. They'd barely seen each other in weeks. He kissed Shawn's forehead, "Go shower. And hurry. Reservations are in an hour."

Shawn gave Lassiter a quick kiss, "Happy Anniversary," he grinned, backing down the hallway.

Lassiter chuckled; he'd thought Shawn hadn't remembered. He smiled at Shawn, his eyes sparking.

Shawn grinned, "Admit it, Lassi," he taunted, "You thought I'd forgotten."

Lassiter smiled, "I will admit nothing of the sort. Now hurry."

They left the restaurant a few hours later, and Lassiter drove them to a park.

Shawn looked at Lassiter in confusion, "Carly?" he asked, "What's going on?"

Lassiter smiled softly, "Come on," he muttered, "walk with me."

Shawn was still confused, but nodded, getting out of the car. "You're crazy, Carly, you know that?" he whispered as they walked down the trail at the park.

Lassiter laughed, wrapping an arm around Shawn's shoulder and pulling the younger man to his side, "Only about you," he whispered.

Shawn looked up at his lover, "Good." He could see how tense the older man was, though he did hide it pretty well, "Hey, what's bothering you?" he asked. "If this is about my lip, I really am okay, I promise."

Lassiter led Shawn to a bench in the park and sat the other man down, kneeling in front of him, "I want to take you to meet my family."

Shawn smiled, "Okay," he returned, cupping Lassiter's cheek, "we can do that."

Lassiter nodded, "While we're there, there's something else I was wondering if you'd like to do."

Shawn nodded, "Okay. Whatever you want, Carly," he whispered.

Lassiter grinned, "I haven't even asked you, yet," he reminded the other man.

"Doesn't matter," Shawn returned, "As long as it's with you."

Lassiter grinned, hugging Shawn. He reached one hand into his pocket and rubbed Shawn's back with the other. He brought his mouth close to Shawn's ear, "Will you marry me?" he whispered, bringing the ring box out in between them.

Shawn pulled back and looked into Lassiter's eyes, "Carly?" he whispered in wonder, his eyes darting between the ring in Lassiter's hand and the older man's eyes.

Lassiter could see the shock on Shawn's features, "I was going to do this where we met, but didn't think an interrogation room would have the right atmosphere. So I decided to do it in the place that I fell in love with you."

Shawn was still in shock, "Fell in love. Here?" He looked around, trying to figure out when they'd ever been here together. He couldn't wrap his head around this.

Lassiter grinned, "Yeah. At the fourth of July picnic last year, when we decided to have it outside like idiots. I mean, who stands outside willingly in July?"

Shawn brought his eyes back to Lassiter, "That was before we even got together," he whispered in awe.

Lassiter shrugged, looking at the ground, "I know." He looked up at Shawn, "You still haven't answered my question," he reminded the other man, leaning close. "Will you marry me?"

Shawn smiled, his eyes dancing, "Yes," he whispered, bringing his lips to the older man's.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/  
THE END.  
(So, what did you think? Love it? Hate it? Want to hurt me? Review!)


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